Joseph elton bott



(N0 Model.) V J. E. BOTT .8v G. H. GAMMELL. SHELL 0B. OTHER PRUJBGTILE. No. 472,748. Pate'ntedApr. 12, 1899.

A. FiGJ.

Y 1 E J2 X/ NITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOSEPH ELTON BOTT, OF STOCKPORT, AND GEORGE HENRY OAMMELL, OF HATHERSAGE, ENGLAND.

SHELL OR OTHER PROJECTILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,748, dated April 12, 1892. Application filed November 10, 1891.` Serial No. 411,478. (No model.) Patented in England September 9, 1890, No. 14,161.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH ELTON BorT, residin gat Brin nington Hall, Stockport, in the county of Chester, and GEORGE HENRY CAM- MELL, residing at Brookfield Manor, Hathersage, in the county of Derby, England, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shells and other Projectiles, (for which We have obtained a patent in Great Britain,No. 14,161, bearing date September 9, 1890,) of which the following ,is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in shells or other proj ectiles,whereby gun-cotton, bellite, roburite, dynamite, or other high explosives may be exploded in the rear of a shell or projectile. The said high explosive (at the moment of detonation) issurrounded by compressed air or gas, or'both, in such manner that a mobile cushion is formed, whereby the rending tendency of such high explosives is retarded and instead of the breech or body of the cannon or other weapon being burst the'` shock is reduced and the impulsiveforce of the released gases transferred to the shell or projectile to be ejected.

In order to carry our invention into eifect, we prefer to use Botts self-propelling shell or projectile (one form of which is shown in Patent No. 466,056, dated December 29, '1891).

in the manner hereinafter described.

The selfpropelling shell or projectile above referred to consists of a shell or projectile having a body to which is lattached (preferably by an interrupted screw) an easily-detachable breech-piece or base, in which is a valve for the purpose of admitting gas or air, or both, under pressure and retaining the same in the chamber of the shell or projectile. On the said detachable breech being released from the shell or projectile when in the bore of a cannon the fore part of the shell or projectile is instantly propelled by the expansion of the compressed air or gas, or both, issuing from the rear chamber thereof.

The object of our invention is to increase the velocity of the shell or projectile Without using highly-compressed air or gas, or both. We inclose in the chamber of the shell or projectile a quantity of high explosive capable of geueratingasufficient amount of gas to increase the velocity at which the shell or projectile is ejected when the same is charged with air or gas, or both, under pressure.

In order to effect the detonation of the high explosive, we suspend it in the body of the shell or projectile and attach a detonator, (preferably fulminate of mercury,) the lattachment consisting of a wire or cord of suitable material secured to the fore part of the shell or pro- 6o jectile, the rear part of the detonator being secured to the detachable breech or base of the shell or projectile by a spring, cord, Wire, or other flexible device, so that when the breechpiece or base of the shell or projectile is detached-for example, in the manner referred to in said patent-the fore partis propelled some distance up the'bore of the cannon or other Weapon until the spring, cord, Wire, or otherdevice isin full tension and breaks,when 7o the detonator is fired and the charge of high explosive is detonated in a cushion of compressed air, which thus receives the shock. By these means the advantage of the enormous power generated by high explosives is obtained without the danger of burstingthe gun or cannon by instantaneous shock. Other suitable means may, however, be employed for detonating the explosive at the required moment.l

In order thatI our said invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried .into effect, We will proceed,'aded by the accompanying drawings, lmore fully to describe the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a 1011- gitudinal section of a self-propelling shell or projectile fitted with our present invention; ,and Fig. 2 is a separate longitudinal section of part constructed according to our present 9o invention, drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 1.

In bothligures like parts are indicated by similar letters and ligures of reference. I

Our present invention is specially designed for use with Botts self-propelling shell or 95 projectile, in which compressed air or gas contained in the shell or projectile is liberated at the breech by the detachable plug.

In the accompanying drawings, a represents the body of the shell; b, the breech-piece or roo base, which is attached to the body c, preferably by an interrupted screw b', (shown in detail by the columns of dotted lines b2) in order that by a partial turn the said breechpiece or base maybe liberated from the shell or projectile.

e b2 is a flange, Which is screwed firmly to the breech-piece or base and secures abacking b3,

of gutta-percha or other suitable material, in

position.

c is an opening through the breech-piece or base for the purpose of admitting air or gas, or both, under pressure, and d is a screw plug or stopper formed with a groove d. which when the shell or projectile is in the charging ber acts as a guiding-tube for a tube g, (ofsmaller diameter,) capable of sliding in the borethereof when required. The said .inner tube g has ahead vg', in which is formed an anvil or receptacle h, which contains the detonating fulminate h. The tube e is connected by a ,cross-rod land coiled wire e" with the fore .part of the shell or projectile a, and Ythe tube g is' connected with the breechplug b of the shell or `projectile by wil-esj, at-

tached to the headg of the tubeg and pass-` ing'through'liolfes in the base ejof the tube e,.

a coiled wirejconnecting the wires j with a rodj2, fixed to the breech-plug b. On the stri ker fa coil of gun-,cotton ker other form of a detonating explosive is wound or placed, and as theV respective tubes@ and g are perforated, as at. 2 and 3, detonating contact is made w-ith the bodyof high Vexplosive Z, which we prefer to be of cylindricalfform and to place around tube e, as shown in .the'drawings Thus when the breech-plug b is released the fore partof 1 the shell or projectile carrying the wire i is propelled toward the muzzle of the gun by the contained charge of compressed air or gas,

and as thewrej is fastened tothe breechplug b and retained at the breech of the gun it follows that when the shell or projectile has progressed a sucient distance cto uncoil the Wires z" and j contact must take place between the pointf of thestrike'rfaud the fulminating detonator 72', thus firing the coil or cylinder of explosive .70, which in turn fires the main charge Z. It is evident that the point at which this explosion takes place may be accurately governed by the length of the coils of wire t" andy".

By our invention it is possible to use high explosives for propelling or accelerating the propulsion of shells and other projectiles without any danger of bursting the gun, which generally takes place when a charge of high explosive is used between the shell or projectile and the breech of the gun.

According to our invention the high explosive is iredin astratu mor bodyof compressed air or gas behind a rapidly-moving shell or projectile, thus practically fulfilling the necessary conditions under which high explosives can be safely used for ballistic propulsion.

If desired, the shell or projectile may be charged with explosive gas instead of air, in which case the eiect will bestill more powerful.

Shells or projectiles of the character referred to when provided with our present improvements are vcapable of use with rifled guns.

Having fully describedour invention, what we desire to claim and secure by Letters `Patent 1. A self-.propelling projectile containing an elastic or expansive iuid, a charge of high explosi ve,lelastic mediums at opposite ends for `suspending such charge of vhigh explosive movably within the projectile, a detonator for exploding ythe charge, arranged in the projectile, and a removable breech-plug for permitting the Huid generated bythe explosion to propel the projectile, substantially as described.

2. A shellorprojectile comprising the body, its removable breech-piece, a tube e, and an yelastic medium connecting it with ,the fore part of `the body, a tube g, telescoping with the other tube,and a frangible medium connecting it with the breech-piece, a detonating mechanism arranged between ,these telescoping tubes and fired by their coming together, and a body of high explosive supported by the outer tube, substantially as described.

JOSEPH ELTON BOTT. .GEORGE HENRY GAMMELL. Witnesses:

CLAUDE K. MILLS, Patent Agent, 23 Southampton Buildings,

London. H. SEYMOUR MILLS, 23 Southampton Buildings.

IOC) 

